Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did you pick the name “Project Trident”?

A: We were looking for a name that was unique, yet would still relate to the BSD community. Since Beastie (the FreeBSD mascot) is always pictured with a trident, it felt like that would be a great name.

Q: Where can users go for technical support?

A: At the moment, Project Trident will continue sharing the TrueOS community forums and Telegram channels. We are currently evaluating dedicated options for support channels in the future.

Q: Can I help contribute to the project?

A: We are always looking for developers who want to join the project. If you’re not a developer you can still help, as a community project we will be more reliant on contributions from the community in the form of how-to guides and other user-centric documentation and support systems.

Q: How is the project supported financially?

A: Project Trident is sponsored by the community, from both individuals and corporations. iXsystems has stepped up as the first enterprise-level sponsor of the project, and has been instrumental in getting Project Trident up and running. Please visit the Sponsors page to see all the current sponsors.

Q: How can I help support the project financially?

A: Several methods exist, from one time or recurring donations via Paypal to limited time swag t-shirt campaigns during the year. We are also looking into more alternative methods of support, so please visit the Sponsors page to see all the current methods of sponsorship.

Q: Will there be any transparency of the financial donations and expenditures?

A: Yes, we will be totally open with how much money comes into the project and what it is spent on. Due to concerns of privacy, we will not identify individuals and their donation amounts unless they specifically request to be identified. We will release a monthly overview in/out ledger, so that community members can see where their money is going.

Relationship with TrueOS

Project Trident does have very close ties to the TrueOS project, since most of the original Project Trident developers were once part of the TrueOS project before it became a distribution platform. For users of the TrueOS desktop, we have some additional questions and answers below.

Q: Do we need to be at a certain TrueOS install level/release to upgrade?

A: As of mid-summer 2018, there is no direct path. We will be working on making the “Install into Boot Environment (BE)”, as seemless as possible, as the only upgrade path.

Q: Which members moved from TrueOS to Project Trident?

A: Project Trident is being led by prior members of the TrueOS desktop team. Ken and JT (development), Tim (documentation) and Rod (Community/Support). Since Project Trident is a community-first project, we look forward to working with new members of the team as the project continues to grow and expand.